With Every Passing Second Comes a Second Chance
by kissinginthebluedark
Summary: "You have to make this right with Kurt and Blaine.  Those guys are our brothers too – once a Warbler, always a Warbler, right?" Klaine   Warblers, 3.11 reaction fic. One-shot. Complete.


**I do not own Glee.**

**And a side note: **This is a fic that focuses a lot on the Warblers and their relationship with Klaine. While Kurt and Blaine are mentioned throughout the fic, it is very Warbler heavy, and Kurt and Blaine don't show up until halfway through the fic. So if you're not a fan of the Warblers, or you're looking for an exclusively Klaine fic, you might wanna pass on this one.

If you've made it this far, well, I hope you enjoy.

* * *

><p>"<em>Hello, you've reached the voicemail of Wes Montgomery. I'm sorry I'm not able to return your call right now, but if you'll leave your name, number, and a message, I'll be sure to get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you."<em>

"Um, hey Wes… it's David. Listen, when you get a chance, give me a call… I think we messed up. _Bad._"

**-k.b-**

Wes pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a sigh. David sounded more than just a little nervous in the voicemail, like a kid confessing to his father that he had done something heinous, which really was ridiculous because while Wes was a year older and a year wiser (though some would contest that) David was still one of his best friends and even if he had messed things up somehow to a terrible degree _he_certainly wasn't going to judge him for it.

Wes punched number three on his speed-dial and waited for David to pick up. It only took a ring and a half. "Wes! Hey!"

He still sounded nervous. Wes decided now was not the time to beat around the bush. "Hey David. I got your voicemail. What's going on?"

"I, uh… I think we screwed up."

Wes furrowed his brow. "Who's 'we'?"

"The Warblers."

If David didn't have Wes's full attention before, he sure as hell did now. Leaving the Warblers behind was the suckiest part about graduating, but he had felt good leaving it in David and Thad's capable hands. "What do you mean? What happened?"

David sighed loudly into the phone, and Wes could tell he was settling himself down to tell a long story. "Okay so, by any chance, do you remember a freshman from two years ago, named Sebastian Smythe?"

Wes suppressed the urge to groan. _Of course _he remembered the royal pain in the ass known as Sebastian Smythe. The arrogant little snob had waltzed into the Warblers, his first day of school, and had announced to everyone that their star had arrived. The council had not been impressed, but had let him audition anyway, much to Wes's chagrin. He had no words to express how grateful he was when the council had turned him down, and he had been even more ecstatic when he found out that Sebastian would be spending his sophomore year in Paris – meaning he wouldn't have to deal with him at all.

But now Sebastian had returned, and from the tone in David's voice, things were not looking good. No, not at all.

"Sebastian kinda took your place as the third member of the council."

Wes choked on his own breath. _"What?"_

"And when I say 'kinda took you place,' I actually mean 'kinda took over the Warblers completely.'"

At this revelation, Wes was inhaling deeply and trying to remember what number came after three. "Okay," he began slowly, drawing out every syllable, "mind enlightening me as to _how _this happened?"

"Well," David began, his voice appropriately sheepish, "he signed up for auditions and showed up and just… blew us away. He changed—or, at least we _thought_he had. His voice had improved a lot, and he wasn't as haughty – we thought he was actually a team player. And with Blaine transferring… it just seemed like the smart thing to do."

"But?" Wes prompted, knowing there was more to the story.

"But… the short story of it all is that it was an act. After he joined the Warblers, he coerced some of the other guys into voting him third chair in the council, and once he got that position, he just… took over."

"How, though?" Wes sighed, thoroughly confused and angry. "That's why we have a council, so it stays a democracy and not some musical dictatorship."

"Sebastian plays dirty," David continued, and oh, _there _was the malice Wes has been waiting for. "He undermines the council. He'll have an idea, and before bringing it to everyone during a meeting, he'll seek out individual members and talk to them in private. He's especially good at manipulating the underclassmen, which makes up almost half of the group. Then whenever we meet and decide to vote on said issue, half of the group is already decided, and no one really gets a chance to object."

"Oh, that _is _sly," Wes mumbled.

"And it's not like Thad and I can just overrule him," David pressed on. "If we tell Sebastian that something is a bad idea, or try to stop it, then half of the Warblers are personally offended and feel like _their _votes and opinions are being overlooked as well. Sebastian gets exactly what he wants while making us look like the bad guys."

Wes sighed, exhaling forcefully through tight lips. "So it sounds like you guys are pretty much screwed."

"That's not even the worst part," David muttered.

"_How _can it get any worse?"

David paused, silence reigning as he tried to figure out what to say. "I think we might have damaged our relationship with Kurt and Blaine permanently."

"David," Wes started, low and dangerous. "_What _have you guys done?"

"We had a sing-off in a parking garage a few nights ago." David sounded so sad and disappointed in himself that Wes _almost_felt sorry for him and _almost_forgot his ire. "It was to see who had the right to do Michael Jackson at Regionals, since we both had the idea. At the end of it… Sebastian pulled out a slushie with the intention of hitting Kurt, but Blaine stepped in front of him at the last minute."

Wes was stunned. This was not the group of close-knit brothers he left when he graduated months ago. This sounded like a completely foreign group who valued competition over morality, egoism over brotherhood, and had most definitely lost sight of what was important.

"What's worse is that we know Sebastian did something to it before he threw it," said David when Wes didn't reply. "Blaine was screaming out in pain when we left him, and there's rumors going around that he might be blind in one eye." A beat of silence passed. "I've never felt worse, Wes. Like I'm actually ashamed to call myself a Warbler right now."

"Well after the everything that went down, I should think that yes, you should feel pretty ashamed of yourself," Wes stated before he could think about his biting words. "Thad too."

"I _know,"_David replied, obviously frustrated. "I know we messed this one up—"

"No shit, David!" Wes nearly yelled, forgetting the "Gentlemen never swear" rule that Dalton has instilled in him for four years. "Did it completely slip your mind that just because Blaine's switched schools, it doesn't make him any less of a friend? Do you remember what he was like when he came to Dalton? We were his _best friends! _And Kurt—have you _completely _forgotten what drove him to Dalton last year? Did you even—"

"_I get it, Wes!" _David yelled. "I know! We did a horrible thing—I got that! I didn't call you so you would make me feel worse! I called you because _I don't know how to fix it!"_

Wes stopped his berating and simply breathed as he rubbed his eyes until he saw stars. He was so furious about the whole situation, so disappointed in his friends, but he knew that yelling at David wasn't going to make him feel any better, and it certainly wasn't going to fix anything.

"I'm sorry," Wes replied quietly. "I didn't mean to blow at you like that. I mean, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed in you guys, but I know it's not completely your fault, or Thad's. Hell, if I were in your situation, I may not fair much better."

Wes heard David chuckle just a bit. "Wes, if you were here, none of this would have gone down."

Wes smiled. "I appreciate the sentiment, and take this as evidence that me and my gavel are missed."

"Yeah, you better, because there's no way in hell I'm admitting that in so many words." The two friends laughed for a moment before silence reigned again, heavy and loaded with tension. "So… what do we do?"

Wes tapped his fingers against his thigh in thought. "If it were me," he began with a sigh, "I'd play by Sebastian's rules. If he likes to undermine the council by going to members before meetings, then I say you have the same right. Try to talk to some of the other guys before the next meeting."

"That's not a bad idea," muttered David. "I know some of the guys are already starting to question Sebastian's tactics and ideas."

"Talk to them," Wes encouraged. "If there's a group of you to stand up to Sebastian in meetings, maybe you can shift the pull of power back to the council, instead of one person."

"Yeah. Yeah, I will."

"And David?"

"Hmm?"

"… You have to make this right with Kurt and Blaine. Those guys are our brothers too – once a Warbler, always a Warbler, right?"

"… Yeah."

"You can do this, David. You and Thad together." Wes smiled again. "It's why I felt okay leaving the Warblers, because I knew you two could handle it."

David didn't respond for a full minute, and Wes had to check and make sure the call hadn't been dropped. "I feel like I let you down," he confessed.

Wes shrugged even though David couldn't see him. "We're human; we all make mistakes. But what separates the men from the boys is seeing who has the balls to make it right. What's done is done. The only thing you can do now is fix what's wrong."

**-k.b-**

David noticed Thad wring his hands nervously. "So who all did you talk to again?"

"I got to Nick and Jeff. You talked to John and Trent, yeah?"

"Yes. Do you think they'll listen to us?"

David shrugged. "We can only hope. But I think they will… they were all a part of the Warblers last year. They all know Blaine personally. I think if we're going to change things, these are the guys who will stand beside us."

Thad let out a huff and straightened his tie. David suppressed a chuckle at his friend's severity over the situation. Yes, things were bad, but leave it to Thad to nearly have a panic attack over a meeting with guys who were supposed to be their friends.

_Supposed to be._

David wondered when he started questioning who his friends really were. He supposed it must have started when Sebastian had taken over. Strange how one guy could change everything he thought about the people around him, the young men he considered his brothers.

Because what if it hadn't been Blaine who'd transferred? What if it had been _him - _for whatever reason - who found himself going against these guys, who were _supposed to be _his friends. Would they have done the same thing to him?

With a sickly feeling he realized that yes, he probably would have gotten the same treatment. There certainly wasn't any evidence to prove him otherwise.

David swallowed thickly. Maybe Thad had a good reason to be so nervous.

"Come on," he said, shaking his nerves and placing a comforting hand on Thad's shoulder. "Let's do this. These guys are our friends. I have a feeling we'll all be in agreement about this."

"And if we're not?"

David shrugged as he studied Thad's worried gaze. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

Thad nodded, and David tried to offer a comforting smile. And with nothing more to say, they both opened the doors and entered the lounge used for the Warbler meetings.

The four guys they had talked to - Nick, Jeff, Trent, and John - were already waiting in the room, ever the punctual gentlemen that Dalton had trained them to be. The four of them had been discussing in hushed voices before David and Thad had entered, but upon seeing them they quickly grew silent. John leaned back into the leather sofa and crossed his arms, apparently waiting for David and Thad to speak before saying anything whatsoever. Nick and Jeff settled nervously on the couch, elbows rested on their knees, while Trent crossed his legs in the leather armchair next to them, folding his hands in his lap.

David remembered the days when calling a meeting like this was met with smiles, with good natured jibes at striving for perfection and poking fun at Wes for his supposed love affair with his gavel. Now they were all walking on eggshells, wondering who could trust who.

Something had to give. And it had to give _now._

"Hey guys," Thad began, taking a seat on the sofa opposite John, Nick and Jeff. The four boys offered murmured salutations in return. "So... you're probably all wondering why David and I asked you here during your lunch hour..."

Tense silence reigned in the room. It seemed like everyone was waiting for someone else to take the floor.

David decided it must be his turn. He leaned against the desk at the head of the room and announced, "We wanted to talk to you guys… about Sebastian."

Eyes shifted nervously in the room. "What about him?" John asked, his face impassive.

"We don't think he's good for the team," Thad added.

"Good," Jeff began while folding his arms. "Seems like we're on the same page, because I _hate _that guy."

David suppressed and snort and Thad smirked. At least they had one Warbler on their side. "That's not really a nice thing to say, Jeff," Nick scolded.

"Well, sorry I'm not sorry, but if you can't be honest with your friends, then who can you be honest with?" Jeff replied, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Screw gentlemanly duties – I can't stand him!"

"Calm down, Jeff," David started, not wanting Jeff to get too riled up before they had a chance to talk with everyone else. "The whole reason we called you guys here is to try to get on the same page, and see if there's anything we can do to put an end to this – not just to talk bad about him behind his back."

"Although if that does happen, you certainly won't hear me complaining," Thad added. David shot a disapproving stare his way. "What?" he defended, "I was just taking Jeff's advice, being honest and all."

David rolled his eyes. "Since when do you take advice from Jeff?"

"_Hey!"_

"Sorry," David apologized immediately. "That was uncalled for."

"Although they do have a point," said Nick as he turned to Jeff. "You do tend to act and speak before you think."

"Okay, I thought we were here to talk about Sebastian, not my propensity toward screwing up." Jeff folded his arms defensively against his chest.

Nick smiled fondly and placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "You're not a screw up. You're just passionate."

"And it's one of the reasons I'm really glad you're in agreement with us," David added, seeing a glimmer of a smile cross Jeff's features. "We need every bit of righteous anger and thirst for justice we can get."

"Well, I've got plenty of that." Jeff visibly relaxed.

"What about the rest of you?" Thad segued. "Are we all seeing eye to eye on this, or are we just missing something here?"

John shrugged and leaned back into the sofa, letting out a sigh. "I mean, I was cool with him until the other day. I thought the sing-off was a great idea – a little friendly competition outside of actual competition is always a good thing, you know? Keeps you on your toes, and lets you get a feel for your competitors – which, let's face it, with Blaine in New Directions now, we need every little bit of help we can get. I thought Sebastian was just being a good leader, taking a more aggressive approach… And he promised that the slushie idea was just a funny joke." He shook his head after a moment of contemplation. "Looking back now… he took things way too far."

"Honestly, I thought the slushie was a bad idea from the start," Nick put in. "I will never forget the expression on Kurt's face that one time last year when we all came back from the 7-11 down the street with slushies. He looked like he was going to vomit." Nick shrugged his shoulders, seemingly already defeated. "I tried to tell Sebastian, that if it was a joke no one would be laughing by the end of it… he just ignored me."

David nodded, his mind processing everything at ninety miles a minute. Had they really all felt the same way this whole time? Why hadn't anyone said anything? Why hadn't they done this a long time ago, instead of waiting for things to get this bad? He felt his stomach roll nauseatingly at the thought that all of this could have been avoided.

Thad's voice brought David out of his reverie. "Trent? You're awfully quiet over there. What's going through your mind?"

Trent, who had been sitting quietly off to the side, head in hand, arm resting on his knee, furrowed his brow and looked at his shoes. "I think Sebastian is using us, and he doesn't give a damn about any of us, or the welfare of the Warblers."

David's eyes widened considerably. It wasn't like Trent to simply say whatever came to mind. He had always been careful with his words – careful not to offend, careful not to jump to conclusions, always seemed to know exactly what he wanted to say, when he wanted to say it.

So for Trent – of all people – to say something this harsh? Something had to be up.

"Those are some pretty rough accusations," Thad supplied thoughtfully. "Why do you say that?"

Trent exhaled loudly and straightened in his seat, looking up at the other five boys in the room. "I've known something about Sebastian for a while now that I haven't told anyone, honestly because it wasn't my business and I probably shouldn't have even heard it in the first place. And normally, I still wouldn't divulge another man's affairs, but because I've stayed silent, someone else has gotten hurt." He looked down at his lap. "Someone that I _care_ about."

Nick cast a sympathetic look in Trent's direction. David cocked his head to the side. "What do you know, Trent?"

Trent took a deep breath before explaining. "Sebastian has had a thing for Blaine since the moment he met him. And while he doesn't exactly advertise it to everyone else, he hasn't exactly kept it a secret from Blaine either." He shrugged. "I heard him tell Blaine he was 'sex on a stick' barely five minutes after meeting him, and I've also overheard a few of his conversations with the other, more impressionable underclassmen." A slight flush tinged his cheeks. "The things he said were… less than flattering to repeat, even among friends."

"But Blaine is with Kurt," Nick pointed out. "Surely he knows that."

"Of course he does," Trent continued, as if it were obvious. "But he doesn't care. He doesn't have any respect for Kurt, let alone their relationship. He's just trying to – and I quote – 'tap that sweet ass.'"

Jeff was on his feet in an instant. "Who the hell does he think he is?" he said, voice rising with each word. "Kurt and Blaine, they were like, _made _for each other! He can't just waltz in and think he can have whatever he wants."

"But that's just it – he _does," _Trent supplied, his tone turning grave. "And because Blaine keeps spurning him, and because Kurt is in his way, he's willing to do whatever it takes." He turned to Nick. "Remember what happened yesterday?"

Nick furrowed his brow in thought for a moment before realization dawned on him. "_Oh. _Well _that _certainly puts things into perspective."

"What puts what into perspective?" Thad asked, mirroring the confusion that David felt.

"Yesterday, Sebastian called for an extra rehearsal session with the tenor section," Nick began, his tone weary. "When the rehearsal ended, the Latina girl from New Directions showed up asking Sebastian if he had tampered with the slushie."

"She was pretty convinced he had," Trent added on, before throwing his hands up in defeat. "She was right. He put rock salt in that slushie meant for Kurt."

Nick shook his head. "It all makes sense. This was about Sebastian getting back at Kurt for getting in between him and Blaine, but Blaine got caught in the crossfire." He rubbed his hands over his face. "He really has been using us for his own twisted way of revenge."

Thad took a steadying breath, clearly agitated. Jeff started pacing almost frantically, Nick sat in disbelief, and John ran his hands over his face. David shook his head. "How did we let it come to this?" he asked under his breath.

Jeff plopped down on the couch next to Nick, eyes not meeting anyone else in the room. "I've been wanting to say something for a while now," he confessed, "but I didn't know if anyone else felt the same way. I was afraid that I'd either be written off as being too wrapped up in it all, or be kicked out by everyone else who's following Sebastian."

"Me too," Nick put in. "I've been feeling increasingly more uncomfortable with this whole situation, but not knowing if anyone else had my back… I've kept quiet."

And wow, if David didn't feel like a failure before, he sure as hell did now. He shared a meaningful glance with Thad, who nodded, before speaking. "Guys… I can't help but feel like this is our fault. We should have been better leaders. We _should _have had this conversation a long time ago. But we screwed up."

"You guys shouldn't blame yourself for all this," Nick admonished.

"Yeah, we're a team," added John as he shared a significant look with David and Thad. "We all had a hand in this. We _all _should have said something before now." He turned to Trent, who at some point had practically shrunk back into his chair. "And don't you dare go thinking that more responsibility falls on you, because you happened to know more. I know how you think, dude. Don't even go there."

Trent nodded, his cheeks flushing again. "I know. I just… feel really bad that Blaine got hurt."

Thad took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders. "We all do. But we're not gonna let it happen again."

"That's right," David said, standing up and straightening his tie. "We're gonna make this right, no matter what."

"You're gonna make what right?"

Everyone froze as the subject of their conversation sauntered into the room, hands in his pockets and a smirk on his features. "What were you guys talking about just now?" Sebastian asked, his voice just a little too sweet to be truly kind.

"Uh, the Michael Jackson number!" Thad exclaimed, and David made a mental note to thank him later for his quick thinking. "John was having a little trouble with the beat boxing in the bridge, and I'm having some trouble with the baritenor part, so we're all helping each other out."

"Yeah," John played along, "we gotta be on the top of our game for Regionals."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes imperceptibly and stared down at them. "Oh. Well then, carry on." He laughed. "For a second there, I thought you might have been talking behind my back."

Nick laughed, trying to ease some of the tension in the air. "What would give you that idea?" he said with a genuine smile. "Sounds to me like you're a bit paranoid?"

Sebastian laughed lightly, and a few of the other guys followed his lead. "Maybe a bit," he joked. "Well I'm glad you're all here, I was actually looking for you. I wanted to let you know that for practice today, we'll be visiting the New Directions at McKinley High."

David struggled to contain his surprise and anxiety. "Oh really?" he asked, his voice pitched a little too high for comfort. "What for, if I can ask?"

Sebastian smirked smugly, and David found himself suppressing the urge to slap it right off his face. "Not sure. They invited us over. I'm sure they're finally willing to concede and let us do Michael at Regionals." He rolled his right shoulder. "If not, I guess we're just gonna have to take things a step further."

David felt his stomach drop. "Oh, I'm sure it'll be fine. We're car pooling, right?"

"Yeah, so you guys can all go together, if you want. We just have to be there by four. We're meeting on the front steps after seventh period. See you guys there?" Everyone responded in the affirmative (Jeff a little too enthusiastic to be believable, and David just hoped that Sebastian wasn't getting suspicious).

"All right," Sebastian said as he headed for the door, "see you guys around 3:15!" He was just about out the door and David thought they were home free, when he turned around and added snidely, "Jeff, Trent – you guys might wanna work on your footwork. You both missed a few steps the other day, and we can't have anything less than perfection at Regionals." He smirked condescendingly. "You don't wanna make a fool of yourself on stage now, do you?"

And with that passive aggressive comment hanging in the air, Sebastian turned on his heel and left.

A tense moment passed once Sebastian left before Jeff pounded his fist on the coffee table. "He is such an _ass!"_

"I agree," Trent said through tight lips. "Let's nail that bastard to the wall."

David smiled as his friends - _his friends - _started babbling on how to bring Sebastian down. Jeff certainly had some favorable (if violent) ideas (that Nick was sure to reign in just a bit). Trent was nodding along silently, eyes sparkling and smirk growing as John goaded Jeff along, all the while Thad tried to calm them all and talk about _feasible _ways they could retaliate against Sebastian.

A relieved sigh passed through David's lips.

They could _do _this.

_It was going to be okay._

Wes would have been proud.

**-k.b-**

"I wish you could have been there, Blaine," Kurt began as he dropped his bag at the foot of his boyfriend's bed. "I think we finally got through to them."

Blaine sat up just slightly and patted the vacant spot on the bed next to him. Kurt happily obliged to join him, cuddling close. "I wish I could have been there too," Blaine said, his tone wistful. "But I guess I'll just have to settle for your dramatic retelling, which let's be honest, is probably just as good."

Kurt smiled, lying down on his side to face Blaine and bring him closer by his hip. "I will just… always relish the look of utter defeat on Sebastian's face once it was all said and done."

Blaine chuckled and Kurt basked in the simple sound. After the last few days, the stress of everything that had gone down was really starting to get to both of them, and just such a simple sound was music to Kurt's ears.

"Stop being so cryptic and just tell me what you guys did!" Blaine asked, pinching Kurt's side.

Kurt swatted his hand away and returned his own hand to Blaine's hip, thumb pushing away the silky fabric to rub softly at the skin there. "Honestly, it wasn't much. We invited the Warblers to come to McKinley, you know, to show them how Michael is _really _supposed to be done—"

"—of course," Blaine interjected.

"—and so we had this big number planned, 'Black or White,'—"

"—good choice—"

"—and Blaine, we _rocked _it. I mean, we _owned _that number. And I think they knew it, because halfway through, the Warblers actually _joined us on stage._"

Blaine's eyes (well, the one Kurt could actually see) widened. "All of them?"

"All except Sebastian. He was… less than impressed with his fellow teammates. But if I had just had a camera to catch his expression… I would have loved to share it with you, the look on his face when all of his teammates decided they weren't going to stand for this anymore."

Blaine smiled and drew closer, resting his head on Kurt's other arm. "I'm proud of them," he said softly.

Kurt's smile slowly waned. Leave it to Blaine to forgive and forget everything they'd been through this week. "Well, they still have a ways to go in my book. Getting up on stage and singing a little ditty with all of us doesn't change what they did to you. They're gonna have to grovel a bit before I'm so ready to forgive them."

"Kurt," Blaine began, his voice harder than before, "be nice. Those guys are my friends."

"They _were _your friends, Blaine," Kurt bit back, harsher than he intended.

"No, _are," _Blaine insisted. Kurt sighed and pulled back just a bit in order to fix his boyfriend with a knowing glare. Blaine glared back, though the intensity of his stare was cut in half considering he only had one good eye. "I know those guys. Yeah they made a mistake, but they're harmless."

"Oh, _harmless_? You mean the way Sebastian was harmless?"

Blaine huffed and pulled away to sit up, swaying a bit as he reoriented himself upright. Kurt bit the inside of his cheek; yes, that had definitely been a low blow, but what the Warblers had done was not going to be forgiven until they asked for it – hell, until they _begged _for it. And even then he felt like he held the right to withhold it.

"Are you ever going to let that go?" Blaine asked, holding his head in his hands. "I've apologized, I've told you that I'm not going to talk to him again – what else do you want me to do, Kurt?"

And dammit, now Kurt felt like a total ass. It was bad enough that Blaine was still trying to recover from being sedated from his surgery earlier in the day; now his boyfriend was badgering him about things that were supposed to be behind them. Kurt sighed, sitting up and resting a hand on Blaine's lower back. "I'm sorry, Blaine," he began softly. "I didn't mean… you've apologized enough, and I didn't say it to make you feel worse." When Blaine stayed quiet, Kurt continued. "I only brought it up to prove a point."

"That I'm a terrible boyfriend?"

"Blaine, no," Kurt reassured, moving to sit in front of him and face him head on. Blaine was resolutely studying his hands resting in his lap. Kurt placed his hand against Blaine's cheek and smiled when Blaine unconsciously leaned into it. "You always assume the best about people, until they give you a reason to think otherwise. And I honestly love that about you." He shrugged. "It definitely balances out my own cynicism."

Blaine smiled and met Kurt's eyes. "I guess that is true," he murmured before moving his face to press his lips in a chaste kiss against Kurt's palm.

Kurt's heart fluttered at the action. He smiled. "Yes, it is. It's also true that it sometimes gets you into trouble."

A sigh fell from Blaine's lips. "Yeah, that too."

They sat like that for a moment, weighing the silence, before Kurt scooted closer and wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist and resting his head on his shoulder. "We've both been through so much, Blaine," he started, his voice barely above a whisper. "We have gone through hell and back, and now we have each other, and I will be _damned _if I ever let anyone deliberately hurt you, or me, or _us, _ever again."

Blaine's arms came to wrap around Kurt's body, clutching him tightly and nuzzling into his neck. "I know, I _know," _Blaine said, his voice strained.

Kurt rubbed his hands up and down Blaine's back before one hand settled into the base of Blaine's curls, the other resting on his lower back. "I know they were your friends, Blaine," he started again, his voice still so quiet. "But until they come around and genuinely ask for forgiveness, I'm not letting them back into our lives. Back into _your _life." He leaned back to stare at amber eyes as he rested his forehead against Blaine's. "You deserve so much more than that."

Blaine surged forward, capturing Kurt's lips with his own and pulling him on top of him as he lay back on the bed. Kurt's lips moved in tandem with Blaine's as he settled over him, distributing half of his weight on his hands that were on either side of Blaine's head, while his tongue poked out to swipe at Blaine's bottom lip. A truly feral moan ripped from the back of Blaine's throat and suddenly Blaine's hands were on the back on Kurt's neck, trying to pull him even closer as he opened his mouth to welcome Kurt's tongue against his own.

Kurt keened as his hips surged forward, letting the rest of his body fall on Blaine. Blaine nipped Kurt's lower lip, sucking it into his mouth and Kurt didn't even try to suppress the gasp that escaped. He pulled back, his lip scraping against Blaine's teeth, and inhaled deeply, desperate for breath.

"I love you," Blaine rushed out, "more than anything."

Kurt smiled and a chuckle fell between them. "I love you too."

"I figured," said Blaine as he pulled Kurt close again. "Now come back here-"

"Bl-_Blaine," _Kurt breathed as Blaine started mouthing at his neck, "Normally I would have absolutely no problem with this but you've-_ah!-_been sedated half of the day-"

"And _bored out of my mind _for the other half-"

"-and I really am sorry about that but I think-oh god-I think that maybeweshouldcooloff!"

Blaine sighed as he pulled back, his head hitting the pillow with a soft _oof. _A pout formed on his lips. "You're no fun."

"And you're exhausted," Kurt commented, noting how heavy Blaine's eyelids looked. "Today's been a stressful day. Maybe you should sleep."

"Ugh. No," Blaine protested, though his eyes did close while he spoke. "I've slept so much today, I don't need any more of it." His tired gaze sought out Kurt's once more. "Maybe if I could just get some coffee? I think it'll help me stay awake, and I promise, after you leave I'll get some more rest." His hands skimmed up Kurt's sides. "I just don't want to waste any time I have with you."

Kurt pretended to be annoyed, which may not have been too difficult because it _was _kind of annoying how absolutely adorable his boyfriend could be – and with an _eyepatch _on, no less. He leaned up to kiss Blaine's forehead. "I'll go make a pot, okay? Just relax, and don't feel bad to take a ten minute power-nap while I'm gone. I promise I'll wake you up if you're dozing by the time I get back."

Blaine hummed contentedly as Kurt clambered off his boyfriend and made his way toward the door. As he reached for the knob, he heard Blaine call out to him. Turning, he quirked a brow at the dopey smile on Blaine's features. "I love you," he said simply.

Kurt couldn't stop the chuckle rising up in his throat. "I love you too, Blaine," he replied as if he hadn't said it only a few minutes ago.

Kurt made his way to the kitchen, pulling out the expensive coffee that he knew the Andersons only used for special occasions. Normally he wouldn't be so bold, but he knew that Mrs. Anderson liked to spoil her youngest son (and had been doing just that for the last few days), and considering that the surgery had been a success and Blaine only had a few more days with the eyepatch on, he figured this was definitely something to celebrate. He had just finished filling up the pot with water and getting ready to pour it into the back of the coffeemaker when the doorbell rang.

Kurt furrowed his brow in confusion. Everyone in New Directions knew that Blaine's surgery had been today, and they also knew that Kurt had requested that all visits wait until tomorrow to give Blaine a day to recuperate on his own. He had made sure to text them all once he made sure that Blaine was okay, but he also thought they had a little bit more respect than that.

Okay, respect was a bit of a strong word to use with New Directions. Sure they meant well, but they didn't always have the best ways of showing it. But they should have at least had the _common sense_—oh, who was he kidding. No, no they wouldn't…

The doorbell rang again, and Kurt quickly put down the coffee pot and ran to the front entrance, not wanting to keep his friends waiting in the cold. "Look, I appreciate you all caring about Blaine so much but I told you, no visitors until tom—"

Kurt stopped mid-sentence as he opened the door and registered the six navy and red blazers standing on the Anderson family porch. His mouth fell open slightly, trying to find some kind of words, but the only ones that were coming to mind were less than kind.

"Oh!" David began, obviously surprised. "Uh, hi Kurt!" he began, a nervous smile painted on his lips.

Kurt pressed his lips together in a tight line. "Hi," he responded curtly, closing the door just a bit so that they couldn't see into the house past his own body. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Well, um," Thad spoke up, "we were wondering, is Mrs. Anderson home?"

"No," Kurt deadpanned. "She's been staying with Blaine during the day, so when I come over after school she goes into the office for a few hours."

"Oh, well, that's okay," David continued. "We were kinda hoping that we could talk to Blaine… and you too… if that's okay?"

If Kurt were being completely honest with himself, he had to admit that at that moment he wanted nothing more than to tell them to go away and slam the door in their faces. But even though he could be a bitch at times (and yes, he knew this), Kurt Hummel was nothing if not classy, so instead he stepped back and opened the door, gesturing half-heartedly with his arm to come in. He waited until everyone was inside before closing the door behind them and walking briskly toward the kitchen, assuming they'd get the hint to follow. He started counting scoops of coffee into the coffeemaker when this time Jeff spoke up.

"So Kurt… how have you been?"

Really?_ This _was the route they were taking to have this conversation? Kurt took a deep breath and set the coffee to brew before turning back to the boys standing around the island.

"Well, if you _really _want to know," Kurt began, not even trying to hide the disdain from his tone, "I've been here after school every day since Blaine's visit to the hospital, trying to assuage both of our stress levels over Blaine possibly going blind. Our setlist for Regionals was stolen – in case you forgot, that was _you _guys – and I spent most of today going out of my mind with worry about Blaine's surgery on his eye this morning." He felt a nasty smirk pulling at his lips, but he couldn't even bring himself to feel bad at the six expressions of remorse staring back at him. "But other than all _that, _I've been just great."

"Blaine had surgery this morning?" Trent said just above a whisper, his face pale.

"Is he okay?" Jeff followed.

Kurt glared at each boy individually, letting the terse silence hang for a moment. "He's fine."

Each Warbler visibly relaxed, obviously relieved. "Could we see him?" Nick asked, his voice timid.

"He's asleep," Kurt half-lied quickly. There was no way these guys were going to see Blaine before they got through him first. If they weren't here to apologize and explain themselves, then they could kiss their friendship with Blaine goodbye. He folded his arms and leaned against the kitchen sink, waiting for someone else to speak.

"Kurt," David started softly, "we're really, really sorry. We messed up royally."

He nodded. "Understatement, but continue."

"We didn't realize what Sebastian was planning." David shook his head thoughtfully. "If we'd known that we would have stopped him. Hell, we should have stopped him from the beginning."

"But you didn't," Kurt bit out. "You let him go through with it. You let him do it, _knowing _it was intended for me, and _knowing _what I have been through in the past."

Kurt felt surprised at his own words. He had been so angry at the Warblers for what they did to Blaine that he had almost forgotten to be angry for himself as well. He was allowed to be angry, and he was sure as hell that they would feel it too.

"I came to you guys last year looking for safety," Kurt continued, his voice low and laced with anger. "I was bullied – thrown into dumpsters, slushied, called terrible names – I'm not even sure why I'm having to remind you all now, because I _thought _our friendship meant a little more than that, that you'd actually _remember. _But apparently not." Kurt stepped forward, planting his hands on the cool marble of the kitchen island. "Apparently, Dalton isn't a school with a zero-tolerance bullying policy. It's an elitist country club where only the privileged few who can afford to be there are safe.

"And _Blaine!" _Kurt continued, his voice now rising as he threw his hands up dramatically. "Do you all have _any _idea what he's been through this week? He's been terrifiedof getting surgery, he's been exhausted trying to keep up with the school work he's missed, he's been in serious physical pain for most of the week, and worst of all? He's been confused and _hurt _trying to figure out where the hell you guys have been!"

Kurt looked at each boy, all of them avoiding his gaze and staring sheepishly at the floor. He swallowed, blinking back tears that he didn't even realize had formed because _hell no _he was not going to cry in front of these guys. "I know we're not the best of friends," Kurt supplied, "and I even understand if you harbor some resentment toward me. Some strange kid shows up in the middle of last year, disappears to a rival choir just in time for Nationals, and then takes your lead soloist away for the new school year." He shrugged. "I get that competition can be hard. But I thought that you guys at least cared about Blaine more than that. I thought he was actually your friend, not just some well-oiled cog in the Warbler machine." Another deep breath. "But real friends wouldn't leave someone they cared about screaming in pain on the asphalt, now would they?"

The coffeemaker beeped, indicating the pot was ready. Kurt waited for someone to speak, having said his piece.

Nick was the one to break the still silence. "Give us a second chance," he pleaded, his voice humble. "Please."

"We screwed up," John repeated from earlier, "but we're going to make it right. We're going to make sure this shit doesn't ever happen again."

Kurt wasn't one to believe empty promises. "How?" he challenged.

"Sebastian claiming that he's the captain of the Warblers… well, that's more of a self-proclaimed title," David went on to explain. "Thad and I are still on the council, but ever since Sebastian got voted third seat, he's been doing everything in his power to sway decisions his way, and we haven't really been able to do much about it." A sigh fell through David's lips as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Of course, we haven't exactly been fighting very hard either."

"But that will change," Thad put in determinedly. "David and I won't let Sebastian do whatever he wants anymore. We're going to challenge his suggestions, his way of manipulating the other Warblers."

"And we've got each other's back this time," Jeff added. "This is all our responsibility, not just Thad and David's. We're going to make things right this time around."

"Six of us standing up to him are a whole lot more effective than just one," Trent said.

Kurt studied them for a moment, contemplating their words, before nodding slowly. "Sounds like you have a decent plan," he admitted as his gaze found his shoes.

He started when he felt a reassuring hand squeeze his shoulder. He blinked up to see David staring back at him, his expression serious and compassionate. "We don't resent you, Kurt. Not for leaving us last year, and not for Blaine choosing to transfer, either. And it makes me sick that our actions this week have left you thinking that. But Blaine is our friend… and you are too. And we're going to make this right, starting now."

Thad leaned forward on the island. "Is there any way you can forgive us?"

Kurt folded his arms, contemplating quietly. He had never been one to forgive easily, and he certainly never forgot when he was wronged (that was the easiest way to get hurt again). But as much as he hated to admit it, he knew that Blaine was right. These guys were not bad, and they obviously felt awful about what they had done (or, in this case, what they _hadn't _done). Still…

"I think I need some time," Kurt said quietly. "It's not that I don't think you're sincere, but…"

Jeff looked heartbroken, but Nick quickly spoke up. "That's okay, Kurt. Take all the time you need." He smiled tiredly. "But you're going to see things change around us. We promise."

For the first time since the Warblers had set foot in the Anderson kitchen, Kurt found his lips being pulled into a soft smile. "I believe it. And I'll be looking for it."

David patted Kurt on the back. "We've got you covered. Blaine too."

Kurt offered a genuine smile. "Speaking of whom," he segued, turning back to the coffeemaker and pulling out two mugs from the cabinet overhead, "I know he might actually want to see you guys. He's already expressed how proud of you all he was when I told him of how you stood up to Sebastian today."

"But you said he was asleep," John pointed out.

"I lied," Kurt admitted breezily, pulling down some extra mugs. "Of course I was going to make sure that you were here for the right reasons before letting you up there to see him. The last thing he needs is any more disappointment." He put a little sugar in Blaine's mug before reaching in the refrigerator for the cream. "If you want, you can help yourselves to some more coffee. I made more than enough. I'll head on up to let him know you guys are here."

He walked up the steps briskly, leaving the boys in the kitchen to fend for themselves for a moment, while he went to emotionally prepare his boyfriend for the onslaught to follow. He was pretty sure that Blaine would want to see them – he had said only minutes before that they were still his friends – but he couldn't quell the part of him that screamed to protect Blaine, the way Blaine had protected him from that slushie.

He nudged the bedroom door open with his hip to see Blaine nestled into his pillows with eyes closed. Kurt found himself smiling at the even rise and fall of Blaine's chest, and he couldn't stop his mind from fast forwarding far into the future, seeing a scene similar to this, bringing his husband coffee in bed on a lazy Saturday morning.

Well, sans eyepatch.

Kurt placed the mugs on the nightstand and pressed his lips to Blaine's forehead sweetly. "Honey, wake up," he started. "We have—ACK!"

Blaine's eyes darted open as he wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist and pulled him onto the bed. Kurt tumbled onto Blaine's lap and gasped as Blaine pinned him playfully, kissing his neck once more. "I thought you were asleep!"

"I've always been good at faking it," Blaine replied between kisses.

Kurt jerked back to look at Blaine skeptically. "Oh, I _really _hope not. Otherwise I'm about to discover a whole new level of insecurities I never knew I had."

The vibrations from Blaine's chuckle shook through Kurt's entire body. "I only fake it when I have to," Blaine murmured, lips finding the sensitive spot behind Kurt's ear. Kurt's breathing hitched. "With you, I don't have to."

Kurt screwed his eyes shut while Blaine kept mouthing along his neck and behind his ear. A whimper escaped from the back of Kurt's throat, a noise that only spurred Blaine on, much to Kurt's chagrin. "Okay Blaine," Kurt started, his voice pitched much too high for his liking, "I get it, you've been bored and horny all day, and I _promise _we'll take care of it later, but we really can't do this right now!"

"Give me one good reason why we can't."

A tentative knock sounded at the door. Blaine bolted upright and practically flew to his side of the bed, leaving Kurt still on his back and folding his arms over his eyes.

"I can give you six."

Blaine cocked a questioning brow before the knock sounded again, this time accompanied by a voice. "Um, is it okay if we come in?"

Kurt exhaled and sat up, situating himself next to Blaine at the head of the bed. He tried to offer a reassuring smile to Blaine, who looked a little shell shocked recognizing David's voice on the other side of the door. He let his fingers lace with Blaine's and squeezed slightly. "If you want to see them, you should probably tell them to come in," Kurt whispered.

Blaine gaped for a moment while he searched for the words. "I, uh…" He blinked and shook his head quickly as if trying to clear his own head, "come in!"

The door slowly opened as David, Thad, and the other four boys made their way in. Kurt watched his boyfriend look at his lap and take a deep breath, plastering on a soft smile before looking back up. "Hey guys," he started quietly.

Each Warbler mumbled a greeting as they stood awkwardly at the foot of the bed. "Um," Jeff spoke up from behind Nick, "how… how have you been, Blaine?"

Blaine let out a self deprecating laugh and Kurt's heart clenched at the bitterness behind it. "Well, I can easily say that I've been better."

A heavy silence took over the room, and Kurt wondered who was going to break the tension first. No doubt everybody involved felt uncomfortable – Blaine wondering if he could trust the guys he once called his friends (and obviously still wanted to trust), the six Warblers wondering if Blaine would actually forgive them, despite Kurt's reassuring words. Kurt sat and watched, and waited, and wanted _so badly _to be the one to interrupt the awkwardness pervading the room. But this time he kept his mouth shut, knowing that this was between Blaine and his former Pips.

"We're so sorry, Blaine," Trent started in. "We have no excuses for what happened. We should have spoken up and stopped Sebastian."

Blaine shrugged. "You guys didn't know what was in the slushie," he replied, "and you couldn't have known that I would have jumped in front of it."

"Dude," John spoke up, "we went to school with you for almost two years. If we had just taken two seconds to think about what we were doing, and who we were doing it to, we should have been able to figure out that you would gallantly jump in the way."

"We're supposed to be your friends," offered Nick, "but we really didn't act like it, to you or to Kurt."

"We just wanted to apologize," Thad said. "And hopefully try to make it better."

Blaine looked to his boyfriend for reassurance, which he gladly returned with a kind smile and a gentle squeeze of his hand. "What did you have in mind?" Blaine asked, turning back to the navy and red blazers before him.

"Well, we hoped we could start by buying our way back into your good graces?" Jeff supplied, handing over a paper bag that Kurt hadn't even realized he had. Blaine took the bag cautiously, opening it slowly and peeking in.

A smile spread over Blaine's features and he laughed loudly, shaking his head. "You guys know me too well."

Kurt cocked a brow, silently entreating Blaine to let him in on the joke. When Blaine saw Kurt's expression, he handed the bag over so Kurt could see inside.

Kurt smiled at the sight of at least a dozen biscotti, all different varieties, in the bottom of the sack. "I'll give you this much – you at least know how to bribe a guy."

Laughter filled the space that silence filled moments before, and Kurt had to admit that he did feel just a bit more relaxed. Everyone else seemed to as well. "We know this doesn't fix everything," David said as the laughter died down, "but we hope this is a decent peace offering, and a promise that from now on, things are gonna be different."

"Or, at least the same as they were before Sebastian happened," Jeff added.

Blaine smiled – _genuinely _smiled – and Kurt couldn't stop his own lips from quirking up. "I'm glad to hear it."

"So… are we okay?"

Blaine paused for a moment before nodding slowly. "Yeah. We're okay."

And yeah, maybe Kurt wasn't ready to forgive just yet. But as Blaine's old friends settled around the room into the camaraderie they'd all known for so long, he knew he couldn't blame his boyfriend for letting it go. If the tables had been turned, and New Directions were the ones standing in front of him with a nonfat mocha and begging for forgiveness, he's not so sure he'd be able to hold such a cold front.

But Blaine was smiling. And Blaine was laughing. And obviously Blaine was happier now than he had been in the entire last week.

Yes, Kurt knew he'd be keeping his eye on the Warblers for a while.

But for now, Blaine's smile was enough.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I've been working on this monster for two weeks now. It just bothered me so much that the Warblers, who have been nothing but amiable and honorable in every episode we've seen them in, all of a sudden turned to Sebastian's minions. I always thought they were better than that, so I decided to write something to explain their actions. It was fun to characterize all of the Warblers. Oh, and on that note – John is the Warbler played by Jon Hall. Since he didn't have a name, I just went with a different spelling. It was generic enough to serve my purposes.

Gawd, I hope this still has some hope of being canon after Tuesday's episode.

As always, comments/reviews are always appreciated. Thanks so much for reading!


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